mountain holiday

[recercare]

I've been hooked on flashlights for 7-8 months now. In other words...I'm still a rookie!

I love walking in the mountains. We've lots of them where I come from. We walk from cottage to cottage for 3-5 days (I have a sporty girlfriend). The most difficult question is (and will be) deciding which flashlights to bring along. If I should choose today I think i would end up with:

1. LW 4000. It's heavy but the run time is great. You don't have to worry about batteries at all. It's bright enough for illuminating a tent, or find your way around the cottage. It's even bright enough as a primary head light if the trail is well throdden.
2. Photon 2 as backup
3. Silva 361/365 headlamp. It has a 10mm full size reflector and 5/10W lamp. You can choose between NiCD or regular D-alkalines. The run time is 6 - 10 hours depending on which lamp you use.

4 months ago I would have suggested
1. Petzl Tikka
2. Petzl Zoom
3. Photon 2

If you ask me this next year I would answer:
1. HID headlamp
2. 50 led flashlight
3. Photon Keyring light with luxeon (if it exists)

 

[Termac]

Re: mountain holiday *DELETED*

Post deleted by Termac

 

[brightnorm]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by recercare:

......I love walking in the mountains. We've lots of them where I come from......
1. LW 4000. throdden......2. Photon 2 as backup <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

recercare,

You are a lucky man to live in such beautiful suroundings!

When you say "walking in the mountains" I would recommend different lights depending on the altitude and season. In past Summers I used to hike in the Rockies at altitudes between 10,000 and 13,000 feet. This has given me a healthy respect for the mountains and weather, and how things can change very quickly.

Are you walking in very cold conditions? If so you should have at least some lithium powered lights with you because of their superior cold weather performance.

Have you walked for extended periods with the 4000? If you are at all uncomfortable with it then you might consider the LW3000 which is significantly smaller and lighter and is reasonably close in brightness and runtime.

Other 3C LED lights that deserve consideration are the Crane Expedition (7 LED's) and the 1400 (14 LED's).My favorite is the 1400. It's brighter than the 4000 for the first couple of hours and is remarkably small and light, with the most comfortable wrist carrying arrangement of any light that I've seen. I also like the beam which is whiter (less blue) than either LightWave. The lightwaves burn longer. If I could have only one LED light with me in a situation with the potential to become "problematic" and last several days, and size and weight were not a major issue then I would definitely choose the 4000.

I wasn't clear on what lights your girlfriend would be carying. IMO she should have a similar complement of lights.

You mentioned the Photon II.It's an excellent light for very short periods, but as I'm sure you know it fades rapidly and it is not waterproof. This is why the one light I am never without is my ARC AAA le. It has proven itself over and over to me, including in at least one "difficult situation", and never let me down. It is tiny and will burn with fairly constant light for about 5 hours. The white version resolves color better than any of the others.

I have never worn headlamps, but the Silva sounds formidable, although I've never liked the idea of battery packs with wires that can become tangled during tough hiking.

Brightnorm

 

[flashfan]

What about the Lucido T61 for a headlamp? I have been looking to buy this product for months now, but can't seem to find any dealers in the U.S. (manufactured somewhere in Europe?). So I can't provide any reviews, but the combination of 6 white LEDs and one halogen bulb sounds promising. Can anyone provide information and/or reviews about the T61??? Also, is the Silva headlamp better?

 

[Mr Ted Bear]

The "Lucido" brand of lights is manufactured here in the USA, Escondido, CA just north of San Diego.


The parent company, Pinnacle Product Group, also offers the "LiteTool" line of headlights. According to the owner, they mainly distribute in Europe and Asia.